merriman



(No Model.)

H. MERRMAN.

MACHINE.

No. 418,040. Patented 1360.24, 1889.

no w E m U UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL II. MERRIMAN, OF OARLINVILLE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN W. HAVKINS, OF SAME PLACE.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'of Letters Patent No. 418,040, dated December 24, 1889. Application iiledhApril l0, 1889. Serial No. 306,678. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, LEMUEL H. MERRIMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Carlinville, in the county of Macoupin and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others ro skilled in the art to which it appertains to 'make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to washing-machines. I 5 The object is to produce a washing-machine lthe wash-board of which will adjust itself to the varying thicknesses of the clothes placed upon the same, so that a uniform pressure will be exerted, thereby preventing tearing or 2o the rubbing of certain portions of the clothes more than others; furthermore, to produce a washing-machine which shall be simple of construction, efficient and durable in use, and which may be constructed at but a slight eX- pense.

With these objects in View the invention consists, broadly, in a washing-machine provided with a spring-actuated wash=board, the said wash-board being made in sections, one 3o section being provided with rollers which are situated beneath the scrubber and are operated by the reciprocating motion imparted to the clothes when the said scrubber is operated, whereby the clothes will be prevented from being torn by coming in contact with the scrubber, and the other sections being composed of slats placed at such a distance apart that when the clothes are run upon them the water will be allowed to vrun into 4o the tub.

Furthermore, the invention consists in the colnbination,with the wash-board, of a springactuated arin connected with the saine and designed to hold the wash-board in contact with the scrubber, and also to allow the said wash-board to be pressed down when the clothes pass under the scrubber; and, finally, the invention consists in the various novel details of construction, as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the Wash-board, showing its peculiar construction.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the tub for containing the water used in washing the clothes, the saine being mounted upon suitable legs 1, and made of any suitable material, but preferably in this instance of wood. 6o

B designates the wash-board, consisting of two end sections 2 and 3, the slats composing the same being secured upon rods 4, which pass through cross-pieces 5 and 6 at each end, and are secured in place therein by rneans of nuts 7. The center section, or that which is under the scrubber 8, consists of a frar'ne`pro-- vided with curved end pieces 9, which nearly coliform to the periphery of the scrubber, and straight side pieces 10, to which the end sec- 7o tions are pivoted by means of the hooked end 11 of the rods 4, whichy engage screw-eyes 12, secured to the center portion. Within this frame are mounted a number of rollers 13, upon which the clothes to be washed are rubbed, and are revolved by the pressure of the clothes upon the same when the scrubber is operated.

The scrubber 8, as will be seen, consists of two end pieces 14 and` 15, upon which are se- 8o cured in any suitable manner a number of ribs 16, which form the scrubbers.` The end piece 5' of the scrubbing-board is provided with two pivots or bearings 17, which rest in recesses 18, formed `in the side and near the end of the tub, and the other end piece 6 is provided with a screw-eye engaged by a hook 19 upon a curved arm 20, carrying on its lower end an inwardly-projecting straight arm 21, pivoted to a standard 22, secured to the end 9o of the tub. At a point near the said standard the straight arm is provided with a perforation, which is engaged by the upper end of a rod 22', the lower end of the said rod engaging a screw-eye 24, secured in one end of a spring 25, the opposite end of the same being rigidly secured to the under side of the tub. This spring may be made either of metal or of wood; but for practical purposes it has been found that wood will answer the pur- Ico pose as well as metal.

Having now described the different parts of my device, I will proceed to'show its manner of operation. The clothes are first laid upon the wash-board and the scrubber is revolved until the clothes are brought directly under the rollers on the wash-board. The handle of the scrubber is then rotated until the clothes are washed, when by turning the handle a complete revolution the clothes will be discharged at the end of the tub, from which point they may be removed.

lt will readily be seen that by constructing the wash-board in the manner describedthat is, insections pivoted together, and by means of the spring under the tub andvcon-l necting with the wash-board by the curved arm-a uniform pressure will at all times. be;` exerted upon the clothes, sothat, one point` willV notpbe rubbed harder than another pointr, which "would, tend tol tearv or ,mutilate the4 clothes; that the wash-board herein described is exceedingly simple of construction, and that it maybe constructed,atbutaslightexpense.

Having thusfully described my invention, what lfclaimv as new,- and desire to secure by` Letters Patent, is,. f

. 1`.,`4 Th.e-c0mbination of a casing or receptacle," a cylindrical scrubber havingits periph and-.secured by bolts, and the-central section. i

consisti'ngot' a frame provided with, curved en'dzpieces and straight side pieces, to whicht thefendsections are pivoted, and having,

mounted therein a series of rollers, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the arm pivoted to a standard on the end of the Wash-tub and carrying at its upper end a hook for engaging a screw-.eye secured to the .end piece of the Wash-board, of a rod engaging the lower part of the said arm, anda spring secured to the under side of the wash-tub, whereby the Washboard will always be kept in its proper position with relation to the scrubber, substantially as described.

3. Ina Washing-machine, the combination of the wash-board, one end of which is provided with bearings engaging recesses formed in the side of the tub and the other end being engaged by anarm: secured toazstandard.

. on `theeudof vthe tub, a springt secured-to,- the Y gagjngtheqarm for.operatingthewashfboard,-

anda scrubber mounted in; suitablebearings E,in the wash-.tub .anddirecftly overthe rollersA the clothes,,substantiallyas described.,

ln testimony that l claim `-the,.foregoing as my ownl havehereunto vlaiixed myisignaturein presence of two Witn,\S S-e5;.v2 .t l i LEMUEE MERRIMAN.

Witnesses:` i l j -LUQASPEIFFENBERGEm BENGAMEN EDEN.v 1 

